Iran’s World Cup debut in the United States under visa bans and tight security

Iran’s national football team arrived in Los Angeles on 14 June 2026 after flying from its temporary base in Tijuana, Mexico. A U.S. visa ban on 15 Iranian officials forced the squad to relocate its camp from Arizona to Mexico and required the players to travel on a single‑day entry‑exit permit for each match. The team was escorted by armed security to a hotel in Manhattan Beach and faced a heavy police presence ahead of its Group G opener against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on 15 June. The match is set against the backdrop of heightened U.S.–Iran tensions; President Donald Trump announced a possible agreement to reopen the Strait of Oman, while Iranian diaspora groups staged protests in Los Angeles. Mehdi Taremi said: “In a World Cup you should feel a warm, welcoming atmosphere, but I sense a lot of tension.” The event also drew attention when a decomposed corpse was discovered in a parked SUV near the Iranian training ground in Tijuana, prompting a police investigation that officials said is unrelated to the team.